58 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



uo ust exce P t wnat was * M tne mollt h of the inlet, and that appeared to be coming 

 quickly out with the wind, I thought the safest way for the ships, as well as 

 to secure the quick return of Captain Lyon and his party, would be to anchor, 

 which we did in thirteen fathoms, upon a hard bottom, at the distance of 

 one mile from the shore. As soon as the anchors were dropped, we found 

 that the tide came out of the inlet, and then set to the westward, at the rate 

 of a mile an hour ; and as we had reason to believe, as indeed it afterwards 

 proved, that this was the flood-tide, our hopes of here rinding a passage to 

 the northward, so as at least to save us the necessity of pursuing the more 

 circuitous route round the lands we had left to the southward and eastward, 

 received great encouragement. 



Shortly after Captain Lyon left us, the loose though heavy ice, which had 

 at first blocked up the mouth of the inlet, began to drive towards the Fury, 

 coming at times with considerable force against the bows and across the 

 chain-cable. By attending to the helm and watching the ice carefully, we 

 contrived at first to avoid the heavier masses, and I was in hopes that it 

 would in a short time have drifted past us, while the northerly breeze would 

 prevent its return with the ensuing tide. In this hope I was, however, disap- 

 pointed, for after three hours that the inlet had thus been pouring out its ice, it 

 became more abundant as well as heavier than at first, and at seven o'clock we 

 could no longer avoid frequent and violent shocks. At half past seven when, 

 by the time of high water in Repulse Bay, we had reason to expect the tide 

 would begin to slacken, it had on the contrary increased its velocity to two 

 miles an hour ; and some large pieces of ice coming athwart-hawse brought 

 the anchor home, causing it to drag along the ground with a harsh grinding 

 sound. The Hecla having anchored a little to the westward of us happened 

 to be just out of the stream of this tide, so that the greater part of the ice 

 passed without touching her. As however there was reason to apprehend 

 that some turn or eddy might also endanger her, I made Lieutenant Hoppner's 

 signal to weigh, having already begun to do so on board the Fury. This 

 was not easily accomplished, for on heaving at the cable it was found to have 

 cut its way into a heavy mass of ice which hung across it, and which it 

 required more than half an hour's labour to clear, and when we had done so 

 another piece immediately fixed itself in the same manner, dragging the 

 anchor with renewed violence along the rocky ground. As soon as this had 

 been disengaged the anchor was hove up with the utmost alacrity, and would 

 have been saved if the most strenuous exertions of the officers and men could 



